The New Recruit
by She-bop
Summary: Shuuhei x OC - straight sex warning for later chapters; something a worked on a while ago and picked up again recently
1. Introduction

So, the next part of Cravings is going to take me awhle to write so I thought I'd post something different I've been working on. I hope it doesn't disappoint too much.

* * *

Haushinka was fresh out of the academy and starting her station on the special forces. It had been a difficult education for her, not that she was incapable. Rather, others were under the impression that she was incapable. She was glad to have a division assignment right out of the academy. After her first couple of months on the job, she made it a point to have a one to one chat with her Captain.

"Captain?" she looked around the office to make sure there were no others around.

"Yes? Is there something I can do for you? I'm very busy," she shuffled papers and paced about the room.

"I just wanted to talk. If you are busy, I can return at a better time," she shyly attempted to impose.

Soi Fong stopped at the meek nature of her newest recruit. "No, it's okay. What do you need?"

"I know that my records at the academy are not exactly dazzling and after what Tousen did…" she was unwillingly beginning to babble.

Her captain saved her, "What is your point?"

"I wanted to thank you for accepting me onto the special forces. I realize that I wasn't exactly the first choice among the captains."

Soi Fong gave her a strange look that went unappreciated. "Look, I choose you because I thought you would be an asset to my squad both because of your fighting and healing abilities. I don't care what the academy has to say about it," she brushed off.

Haushinka blushed which was noticed. "Th-Thank you, Captain."

"Actually," Soi Fong began after a moment of thought. "I've noticed in our preliminary training exercises that you've done exceedingly well. Not many who are fresh out the academy understand their Zanpaku-to as well as you do. I was thinking I could set you up to train with a couple of the vice-captains from other squads to see how you fair."

She stammered a little out of flattery as well as intimidation. "Are you sure? I mean…"

"I'm quite sure. In fact, I have a couple in mind, now that you mention it. I'll let you know when the arrangements are made. Now, I have a lot to do."

"Thank you, Captain." Haushinka quickly left without another word. She was thankful for the confidence her captain seemed to place in her but she was apprehensive about facing off against vice captains from other squads. She ran through the list of the thirteen candidates in her mind for the rest of the evening trying to reason who she had in mind. However, she came up empty in that regard. So, since she wanted to be prepared, she looked into the abilities of each of the thirteen vice captains

About three days later, Soi Fong approached her new recruit with the news that she was to meet her training partners that afternoon. She didn't say who they were. Haushinka did as instructed and met them at the training grounds. She was slightly surprised to find it was Vice Captains Hisagi and Kira. From what little research she was able to do, she knew they were friends and that they worked very well together. She greeted them appropriately upon arrival.

"Ah. Haushinka-san," Hisagi greeted. "I've seen you around." He mused as his eyes raked over the younger woman.

Kira elbowed him.

"What?"

"Don't you think that's rather rude?" the blonde scolded under his breath.

"I don't," the blind girl interjected. "It's probably true. He has seen me." She assured defiantly.

That shut Kira up and amused Hisagi.

"Let's begin then," Hisagi began to draw his sword.

There were little words after that point and the two vice captains took turns with Haushinka. They quickly began to understand why Soi Fong requested two vice captains to entertain her.

"It looks like your extra time at the academy did you some good," Hisagi teased.

"You were held back? But you are more advanced than any graduate I've ever met," Kira attempted to compliment.

"It wasn't my choice…but I took advantage of the extra instruction."

"I can see that," Hisagi sheathed his sword and backed off. "Kira, why don't you release your Zanpaku-to and give her a bit of a challenge?"

Kira appeared unsure.

Haushinka nodded, "That sounds good. May I do the same?" she asked.

They were apparently unaware that she had that ability already but were more than happy to let her show off a little. When she did, her sword separated into several dozen smaller arrow-like hilt-less daggers that circled around her. Needless to say, they were both rather impressed.

"I am actually rather interested to see how I hold up against an ability like yours," she told Kira as she waited for him to begin.

He couldn't get near her. Her blades made for excellent offence as well as defense. He did hit as many of her blades as he could to see how she would react. When some of them started to get heavy, that's when she changed tactics.

"Now is usually the time when your opponent is weighed down by their own weapon, am I correct?" she asked knowingly.

He didn't say anything, simply continued his attack, knowing that eventually they would become too heavy for her energy to support.

When that began to happen, she allowed several of the more heavy blades to fall dangerously close to him eventually using the loose ends of his robes to pin him in place.

Once pinned, Kira let his sword go back to its original shape, "I guess that means you win," he joked half-heartedly. "I've never fought someone with a technique that could cope so well with mine before. I'd like to do this again sometime."

She paused. "I would like that as well and I'm sorry for tearing your robes. If you'd like, I can repair them," she offered as she withdrew, allowing him to stand.

He found that an odd thing to say and declined her offer.

During their fight, Hisagi sat leisurely on the side lines and though his intent was to observer their styles, he ended up spending most of his attention observing her body. He had seen her around before and noticed that she was attractive but this was the first time he got to really look at her.

She was a good head and a half shorter than he with black hair tied back in a tight bun. Her only other distinct feature was the white blindfold that she wore over her eyes. It was the only indicator that she couldn't see. The way she behaved and moved about the city would never had indicated her condition. He wondered about it. His former captain had been blind and was also very well adapted to his situation but he never found out how or why he was that way. But this was a little different. He used her inability to see him staring at her to his advantage. Normally, when he saw an attractive woman, he felt at least a small obligation to pretend he wasn't staring but with her he had no issues with just staring at her. She had a very nice hourglass figure which, much to his disappointment, was fairly well hidden by her uniform.

Hisagi was pulled from this train of thought by a defeated Kira who was obviously more disgusted with his friends behavior than his loss to the young woman. "Hisagi, would you like to give it a try?"

"Ah, no that's okay. One vice captain losing to a new recruit is probably enough for one day."

Though flattered, she didn't seem to like his answer but didn't say anything.

"I think that would be a good place to call it for a day. I'll give Soi Fong a report this evening. She will be pleased. I wish she'd let us know what we were up against."

As they left the training area, Kira approached her again. "With your abilities, I still find it difficult to believe that you were held back in the academy," he began.

"As I said, it was not my choice. My instructors…they felt I was not ready to progress as quickly as the other students. I repeated nearly every year." She carefully informed, obviously uncomfortable.

Hisagi appeared irritated but he didn't want to make her dig any further into that subject. "We are going to dinner after we clean up. Would you like to join us?" he suddenly asked.

She started at the invitation, obviously caught completely off guard. "I…well…"

"It's just an evening meal. Since you beat me, I should treat you anyway," Kira added.

"Maybe another time, but thank you," she blushed deeply and quickly, but politely, took her leave of them and made her way back to her quarters.

"You scared her off," Kira pointed out once she was gone.

"We'll see her again," he informed as though he was going to make a point of that.

Kira wasn't sure he liked his friend's tone. "You're lucky she couldn't see the way you were gawking at her or else she would have demanded to fight you."

Hisagi laughed a little. "She's so hot and she has no idea."

"It's good she has no idea what a pervert you are," he pointed to the 69 on his friend's face, the immediate indicator of the man's nature.

Hisagi smirked. It was nice to meet someone who couldn't judge him based on his appearance…not that all judgments made in that way were incorrect.

They met up with Renji and a few others on their way to dinner and discussed the afternoon with them.

She met up with Matsumoto for dinner, as promised and they too talked over the events of their days.

"Two? She must think very highly of you," the older woman complimented.

Haushinka blushed. "Perhaps. However, they seem to be a different story."

"What do you mean? From your story, it sounds like Kira really respects you. Not many can beat his technique, especially on the first try. And Hisagi, well, it just sounds like he was being lazy."

She made a face of disapproval. "They invited me to dinner afterwards." She admitted as though she were guilty of something.

"Did you want to go? You should have gone with them if you wanted to, I would have understood."

"No," she replied hastily, "Well…I don't know. Kira seems nice enough but Hisagi…" she trailed off.

"Did he say something to you or something?" Matsumoto wondered if she'd been offended in some way. Usually, Hisagi was very well spoken but he had his moments just like any of the other guys.

"He hardly said anything. I don't think he cares for my presence much. Wasn't he Tosen's vice-captain?"

"Yeah, but I don't see why that matters. I think you just got a bad first impression of him, he's actually rather nice."

"No, his first impression was rather good…better than Kira's, in fact. I don't know. Maybe I'm imagining things."


	2. All Talk

Over the next few weeks, Matsumoto, out of concern for her newest friend, made a point to observe Hisagi, especially when Haushinka was around. She came to a rather different conclusion than her sightless friend. When she was around, he couldn't take his eyes off her but he hardly moved or spoke. It was no wonder she got the opposite impression of the man but she didn't know what to do about it.

Kira also noticed his friends interest in the young woman and instead of remaining a silent observer, one evening, he decided to say something. He wasn't really going to bother at first. He figured it was just one of Hisagi's passing interests and that once he grew accustomed to the woman's presence, it would fade and things would be comfortable once again. But this one evening, he followed his friend to her quarters. He thought at first, Hisagi was going to knock on her door and try to talk to her but instead he went around the side of the building and sat down beneath her window. He closed his eyes and listened to her. This was obviously unhealthy and if Soi Fong found out, she might kill him. Kira sat at a safe distance and observed his friend. He only sat beneath the window and when Haushinka's home grew quiet Hisagi left. He decided that was as good a time as any for a confrontation.

"Hisagi, what are you doing?" he demanded quietly.

The dark haired shinigami started, apparently unaware that he'd been followed, and didn't say anything, just kept walking.

"Why are you doing this? You're practically stalking her! How long have you been doing this?" he grabbed Hisagi by the shoulder to stop him.

"It's none of your business," he pulled away.

"I'm your friend so I'm making it my business. If you get caught doing this, who knows what will happen?"

He shrugged as though he could care less.

"Look, it's obvious you really like her. Just talk to her, this is unhealthy."

"She's too guarded," he complained. "Sure, she's hot but I needed to know what she's really like."

"This isn't really the best way to go about it," Kira chided.

"No…but it's faster and more effective."

"Does that mean you'll actually talk to her then instead of simply staring whenever she's around?" Kira asked accusingly.

Hisagi glared. He liked staring at her.

"If you don't, I'm going to talk to her for you…maybe even tell her what you've been doing."

"Come on, don't be like that."

Kira didn't want to bust his friend but at the same time he knew what was happening wasn't right.

"I won't say anything if you stop this…and it wouldn't hurt if you'd actually talk to her."

"Deal." Hisagi half-heartedly agreed, knowing that he wouldn't hold up on his end.

Just to make sure, Kira staked out Haushinka's quarters and, though not unexpected, he was disappointed to find that Hisagi did as he did the night before. He realized that talking to Hisagi wouldn't do any good. He left once his suspicions were confirmed. Kira spentS the following morning and afternoon thinking about what he had to do.

It was getting dark when he finally gathered the courage to approach her quarters. Lightly, he tapped on the door. She opened the door. "Who is it?"

"Izuru Kira."

"Oh, Vice Captain," she sounded startled and began adjusting her uniform though there was nothing wrong with it, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Um, Kira is fine for now, I would just like to talk with you. May I come in?" he carefully asked.

"Uh, sure," she stepped to one side to allow him to enter before closing it behind him. She led him to the sitting area and poured him a cup of hot tea.

It was dark in her quarters, which threw Kira off at first but he quickly realized that she had no need for a light source. Her space was simpler than most, with only the bare necessities and very few decorations.

"What did you want to talk about?" she hesitantly inquired.

"I hope this isn't too personal, please tell me if I'm overstepping my bounds. I wanted to talk to you about Hisagi."

"What about him?"

"You see, he's a friend of mine and it seems he's taken a liking to you."

"Is that so?" she asked, even more unsure of herself than when she answered the door.

"Yes. Normally, he is not the shy type but…I'm not really sure how to say this," Kira shook his head, being in the dark was disorienting for him and distracting from his train of thought. "Could I ask you to light a candle, it's rather dark in here."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't usually have guests so I don't think about these things. Of course." She quickly grabbed a candle and some matches, handing them to Kira.

He felt much more comfortable in the soft candle light. "As I was saying. It seems he rather likes you…but he is having difficulty expressing that, especially to you."

"Though I find it difficult to believe that he likes me, because you are his friend, I will have to take your word for it. But I'm not sure I see the point of your visit. I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I don't mean to be rude." She managed.

"Well, for starters, I wanted to see if you have similar feelings."

She thought for what seemed like forever. "I can't say that I know him well enough to make that sort of assertion. But…from what I do know of him…he seems to be one of the better officers. However, he is rather reserved and that makes it difficult for me to judge."

"That was a rather evasive answer," he mused. "But understandable. That leads me to the other reason I came here. It seems he's been sort of visiting you in the evenings"

She shifted uncomfortably, "Visiting…"

"In a manor of speaking. It's the reason I came here." Kira carefully explained his discovery of his friend's activities. "It's not as though he's peeping on you or anything…he said that he wanted to get to know you."

"I…I knew he was frequenting this area in the night hours…I knew he was close to my quarters. You say he comes here specifically," she pointed in the direction of the window he'd indicated. "That's a little unnerving."

"Yes. I understand that you're a rather private person so I can see how this would offend your sensibilities. However, he is a good man and I wanted to circumvent any sort of improper incident that might arise from this…should any one else find out."

"So, do you have any suggestions…for my course of action. I'm afraid I've never been in a situation quite like this before." She confessed.

"Perhaps if you could be more forward with Hisagi. If you started a conversation with him he would have to engage you and you could get to know him. I've gotten the impression that if he gets to know you, he will cease his nightly 'visits'," Kira suggested.

"This is a bit much all of a sudden. Forgive me if I don't know what to say." She thought for a moment, "I will need some time to think this over."

"Of course. Now, if you'll forgive me, it's getting late." Kira blew out the candle and politely left.

The following day, Haushinka found Matsumoto and they went to lunch together. Matsumoto was about to broach the subject of Hisagi when Haushinka did it for her.

"It has been brought to my attention that Vice Captain Hisagi may have an…interest in me," she carefully began, not wanting to reveal the vice captain's less than reputable evening activities.

"Now that you mention it, I've noticed this as well," the older woman understated.

"I was wondering if you could help me deal with this," she continued in a business-like tone.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…I'm not exactly sure. Could you tell me what you know about him? He's rather reserved so I don't have a way to judge if I could take a liking to him as well."

Matsumoto was glad that Haushinka could be interested in a relationship. During their short friendship, the younger woman showed little in the way of romantic interests. This was a pleasant turn of events. She was more than happy to tell her what she knew, focusing on his personality and what little personal history she knew of him.

"Do you really think that he is interested in me…in the way that you're implying? I don't want to overstep my bounds."

"Of course he does!" the blonde woman assured. "Why? Is there something the matter?"

"I…" her voice grew quiet. "It's been a while since I've been a relationship," she confessed.

"Well, don't worry about that. If you need any help, I'm here for you."

Just moments later, Kira, Hisagi, and Renji entered the café where they were dining.

"Speak of the devil," Matsumoto muttered. "Oi," she flagged them down and invited them to sit.

Haushinka blushed at the sudden intrusion but quickly recovered.

They made small talk while waiting for their meals. Matsumoto found it more difficult than usual to get Hisagi to speak up but the others helped to make the situation less awkward. It almost irritated Matsumoto how Hisagi was staring at her friend but couldn't find a good way to say anything about it. It was apparent that she wasn't the only one who noticed but the other guys weren't about to say anything either.

When they were finished, Matsumoto and Haushinka went to the bathes to have more time to talk.

"I wish you could see the way he stares at you. There's no doubt in my mind that he has a thing for you."

"That's all well and good but I wish he could stand to speak to me."

"Don't think of it like that," Matsumoto dismissed. "We just need to think of a way to make it so he can't not speak to you."

"How do we do that?" she sounded intimidated by the notion.

"That, my friend, is the essence of flirting and my specialty."

"Look, I'm not sure…"

"Don't worry about it," she dismissed.


	3. A Visit

That evening, Haushinka decided that the interventions were not helping, that she needed to do something for herself. Not that she didn't appreciate the offers of help but nothing suggested to her seemed right.

As she expected, once the city began to quiet, she felt Vice Captain Hisagi's raitsu in her area. She tried to keep her evening activities to their norm but she prepared enough tea for two. Shortly after he arrived, he took his seat outside her window.

She was hesitant to approach him at first but she knew something had to be done and it was becoming increasingly apparent that he was unwilling to make any further moves. She slowly made her way to the window. "Vice Captain Hisagi," she began and she heard him start.

"Ah…Haushinka…"

"Would you like to come in or should I come outside with you?" she offered.

He slowly stood and made his way around the side of her building. At first she thought that he was going to her front door but he tried to turn the other way.

"Vice Captain Hisagi," she started out the door after him, "Again, I request your company. Would you like to come in…or should I follow you until you tell me what is going on?"

Reluctantly, he turned to see her standing barefoot in front of her quarters. She was facing his direction but not him directly. He complied, not wanting to make a scene. She led him to the sitting area and poured him a cup of tea, much like when Kira came to see her. To her surprise, he did not complain about the dark.

"Vice Captain Hisagi," she began.

"Please, Hisagi or even Shuuhei will suffice."

"Why have you been sitting outside my window?"

He didn't answer but she heard him sipping his tea.

"Look, some of the others have noticed that you stare at me…I don't have a problem with this as I wouldn't know if they didn't feel the need to tell me. However, I would like to know why you have been behaving this way. When the others talk about how you behave," she continued, "they make it sound as though you have taken a liking to me but when I am in your presence I get no such impressions. In fact, I am led to believe that you do not like me at all, even distrust me greatly," she didn't know if she was getting through to him. "Look, this is very difficult for me. I just need to know where I stand. I do not intend to change any of your habits."

He sighed and set down his cup. "You're very beautiful," he informed plainly.

"Physical beauty means nothing to me," she replied flatly.

"I realize that…but I am not immune to it and I find you rather enchanting. I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" he offered in his first act of genuineness since they met.

"Just tell me how you feel about me. It has become obvious that you have some sort of feeling," she insisted.

"You're not making this very easy for me," he complained about her directness. "but I suppose that's only fair. I admit that I am extremely attracted to you and not just because you are beautiful. Now…since I've laid myself out like that I would like to know what you think about that." He tried to remain calm but he was pretty sure she could hear his heart racing.

"I have to admit that I do not know enough about you to make that sort of assessment. However, all things considered I would like to get to know you better." She didn't mean for it, but her voice had a certain allure to it that enticed him.

He stayed for several hours after that and they talked, mostly about nothing until she asked something that had been plaguing her.

"Why didn't you want to fight me when Captain Soi Fong set us up to spar?" she finally asked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that it would bother you that much. The truth is, I wanted to observe you. Actually…" he began but hesitated. "You can't tell anyone this."

She nodded in agreement which, in the dark, he could barely see.

"I was a little taken off guard by your skills. You easily beat Kira and he and I are fairly evenly matched. I didn't want to lose…especially since I barely knew you." He admitted, glad she couldn't see him blushing.

She giggled a little at the thought. "I thought it was because you didn't respect my abilities."

"Oh," he laughed a little too then. "That is hardly the case. If it makes any difference now, I'd say I'm rather impressed with you."  
"Does that me we can have a rematch?" she asked hopefully.

He thought it over. "I suppose we can arrange that. Soi Fong mentioned that she wanted you to do some more training with the vice captains. I wouldn't mind volunteering." She didn't get to see his sly grin.

Not long after that, he decided that he needed to get some sleep before his morning shift.

"Thank you for inviting me in," he managed as he was exiting.

"Um…one more thing before you go," she was hesitant and he could tell.

"What's that?" he turned and stood very close to her, possibly too close for her comfort but she didn't seem to mind.

"It seems you've studied my face rather extensively…" she carefully began, "I should like to know your face just as well." Boldly but carefully, she brought her hands to either side of his face.

He breathed evenly and allowed her to touch him. She started with his chin and moved up from there. Her touches were so light, so careful that it almost made him shiver. When she reached his hairline, she rose onto her toes and continued her examination. She slowly ran her fingers through his short, spiky hair and then down behind his ears, slowly settling on her heals once again. When she withdrew, she smiled at him.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"It seems you are rather handsome," she blushed intensely which he was able to see in the bright moonlight.

"I'm glad you approve," he chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow," he promised before leaving. He knew he needed to get out of there before he started to touch her back.

Haushinka was a little overwhelmed by Matsumoto's reaction when she told her about the night before. She left out the part about knowing that Hisagi had been sitting outside her window for several nights and instead told her that she felt that he was near by and invited him in.

"So are you guys gunna go out on a date, then?"

"No, we're going to spar…later today…to make up for what he did last time," Haushinka carefully informed.

"Spar?" Matsumoto sounded appalled.

"Yeah, that will be much more comfortable for both of us, I believe."

"You should have asked him out…or, better yet, he should have asked you."

Haushinka blushed, "Maybe after we're better acquainted. It's better not to rush these things. Besides, if he wants to speed things up, that's up to him," she giggled at the idea. After he'd been so reserved, it would be amusing if he decided to change his behavior.


	4. Rematch

She met him that afternoon in the same area as before. He was waiting for her with Kira. They began shortly after that. The first part of their match was very similar to hers with Kira. Quickly, though, she became bored with that. "Perhaps you could release your Zanpaku-to…before I start to doze off," she teased.

They were both surprised by that. Kira laughed a little and Hisagi had no choice but to give in to her. As soon as he did, she flash stepped in front of him and ran the palm of her hand along the flat of her blade. Her breath hitched in her throat as she did, "Amazing, it is pure energy now?"

"Yeah," Hisagi didn't realize it because he was so entranced by Haushinka but during this exchange, her daggers had gathered behind him in a very threatening way. Kira was very amused by this and didn't want to ruin it so he tried to keep his reaction to a minimum.

The only warning Hisagi received was the slight smirk on her lips before she flash stepped again and appeared behind him and her arsenal. He quickly turned to face her and stumbled backward at what he saw. "What the hell was that?" he complained as he picked himself up off the ground.

"She's on the special forces for a reason, you know," Kira called to his friend, unable to contain his amusement.

"I'm dead…I guess that means you win," Hisagi conceded and allowed his sword to return to it's normal shape and structure.

She bowed to him and did the same.

"You have to let me buy you dinner this time," Hisagi insisted.

Kira was surprised by his friend's forwardness but, at the same time, relieved.

She appeared hesitant at first but eventually accepted, "I suppose that's permissible…under one condition."

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously, knowing that he would have done anything she could ask of him.

"I would like to clean up first," she confessed.

Hisagi was glad that she thought he could be worth the effort. "Of course. I'll be by later to pick you up."

They went their separate ways after that and, once it wouldn't be too suspicious, Kira caught up with Haushinka as she made her way back to her quarters.

"Haushinka, may I have a word with you?" He knew she had a few minutes to spare but wasn't sure if she wanted to spare them on him.

"Of course, Vice Captain Kira. What can I do for you?" she asked innocently.

He started by congratulating her on her total victory.

"Thank you, I was really hoping I would beat him," she admitted guiltily.

"Well, there's no sense in fighting someone if you intend to lose," Kira pointed out.

"Actually, if I thought he would ask me out right away if I lost, I might have thrown the fight."

Kira paused, stunned by the girl's honesty. "R-really?"

"Why are you so surprised? You were the one who told me to be more forward with Vice Captain Hisagi. I don't think I could have been more forward without asking him out myself…I thought it would be more polite if I allowed him the opportunity to ask me again before I resorted to something so drastic."

Kira laughed a little. "I suppose you have a point there." He left her shortly after that.

She was more than ready when Hisagi came to get her. She was glad that he did because she was beginning to pace, second guessing her forwardness earlier.

He walked her to a nearby café and, to his surprise, she held his hand while they walked. Her hand was much smaller than his but her grip was firm, assuring him that even if he wanted to let go, he would have to forcibly pull away from her. She seemed to take comfort in their physical contact and that reassured him.

Just as they were about to be seated Renji came up behind them. He brought a hand down hard on each of their shoulders and greeted them. She tensed and squeezed Hisagi's hand but didn't move. It was obvious to everyone but Renji how uncomfortable Haushinka was but she wasn't about to do anything about it so Hisagi did. He pulled his hand from hers and pushed Renji against the wall with an audible thump. He didn't say anything as he withdrew and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, allowing the hostess to seat them. Renji appeared confused and offended at first but quickly recovered and sat with his friends.

"You didn't have to do that," Haushinka began when they were seated.

Hisagi shrugged and gave a small, noncommittal sound. "He's a dense idiot. It's the only way I could get my point across."

"Oh? And what point would that be?"

Hisagi blushed and stammered a bit. That was enough of a reply for her and she reached across the table to him. She was disappointed to find he was holding what was most likely a menu so, she carefully took it out of his hands so she could hold them. This time her touch was more intimate. Her fingers traced his, every detail and this time he couldn't hold back the shiver he felt from her light touches.

She was about to say something but the waitress came back. "Please order for me," she requested. "These are useless to me," she complained while handing the menus in the general direction of the waitress. Not that she couldn't have ordered. She knew what was on the menu from the smells that drifted through the café.

He did as she asked and the waitress quickly left.

"I like your hands," she continued with a slight blush.

He found himself continually without words when with her. It was a state he was not used to but somehow he managed. "Thank you. I like you."

Her hands stopped moving but didn't move from his. "R-really?" It sounded like she didn't trust his words when he did eventually find them.

"Of course," he sounded appalled by her questioning him.

She didn't verbally return his sentiment but he didn't really expect her to. She'd already shown some of her affection for him and that was enough for the time being.

As they ate, Hisagi noticed that the table where his friends were seated was watching them. It was making him uncomfortable and he was considering saying something to them.

"Let them be, they're not hurting anyone," she suggested.

He nearly growled. "I still don't like it."

"They're just curious. If we don't react to them, they will eventually stop. Besides, your friend Renji is still steamed that you slammed him against the wall. You should give him some time for them to cool him down."

He gave her a puzzled look. "How do you…"

"They think their being quiet but I can still hear them," she bragged. "If they say something offensive, I'll let you know but until then…I would like your attention."

He was still unsure but her flattery overcame that and he once again directed his entire attention toward her. Since she hadn't started moving her hands again, he initiated the movement. It was his first opportunity to really touch her and appreciate it. Her skin was warm and soft and he got the impression that the rest of her was that way as well. He was saved from overstepping his bounds by the waitress returning with their meal.

The rest of their diner was pleasant and peaceful and they left before his friends were finished with their meal. Unsure as to how to proceed, Hisagi took her back to her quarters after a short walk. It was starting to get dark when they sat down on her front steps.

"Thank you, that was wonderful," she smiled.

He carefully put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. At first, he expected her to pull away but, to his surprise, she rested her head on his shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. He found her presence soothing and he was glad that she no longer seemed apprehensive around him. She breathed deeply, taking in his scent and making a small sound of contentment.

They sat this way, in near silence, until dark overcame them and she was the first to move. She lifted her head, her warm breath tickling his bear neck, "I had a wonderful time…I hope we can do this again soon." She lightly kissed the side of his throat before pulling away from him and standing.

He nearly whined at the loss of contact after something so intimate and sweet. It took all his energy to not take her into his arms and not let her go. "I would like that very much," was all he could manage.

They said their good nights and she went inside. Several minutes later, he left her steps and headed toward his own quarters, lost in thought. He should have expected the ambush that awaited him but, alas, he was too distracted.

"Oi! What the hell was that all about?" Renji demanded as he stepped up beside Hisagi.

Hisagi gave him a puzzled look. He thought it was pretty obvious what his evening had been all about.

"I though you were going to shove my shoulder out of the socket!" the redhead continued to complain.

"Oh, that," Hisagi smirked just slightly.

"Don't 'oh, that' me! I demand an explanation!"

"I thought I made myself pretty clear," Hisagi retorted.

"So you two do have something going on," Renji accused playfully.

Hisagi cocked a brow and gave his obnoxious friend an impatient stare. "Is there a point to this?"

Renji just laughed. "You're awfully protective of her if you don't have something going on."

Hisagi sighed a bit.

"She didn't seem to mind, though."

"She thought it was unnecessary."

"That doesn't mean she didn't appreciate it."

"And she didn't appreciate what you did," Hisagi smirked.

"Oh? How could you tell? She didn't even react."

Hisagi just laughed, knowing there wasn't a way that he could describe it and if he tried it wouldn't sound right.


	5. Potions

Over the next couple of weeks Matsumoto and Kira found their ears nearly being chewed off by all the excess information they were receiving. Unbeknownst to them, there was a common theme among their discussions. That theme was sex and it seemed they were both becoming rather impatient.

Her reasoning was that she because had been in initiator of many stages in their quickly evolving relationship, she didn't think she should have to initiate that as well. It made her anxious to be so forward though, she quickly realized that he didn't mind her that way. To a certain extend, it was really nice. She rarely got a chance to be so outspoken but she could tell he was holding back. There were times when she felt his hands very near her but he held back from actually touching her. It took all she had not to lean into those 'near-touches' because she wanted him to actually do it. As a result, Matsumoto got to hear about how sexually frustrated and increasingly impatient her friend had become.

Kira was hearing a similar story. Hisagi couldn't get enough of it. The majority of his past relationships were quite the opposite. He enjoyed not being under the pressure of initiating the first touch or their first kiss…even if it was just on his neck. She even made it easy for him to ask her out. He wondered if she would be the one to take things to the next level and often held back so that if she really wanted to, she eventually would do something. Kira didn't think that was a good idea. He understood the initial problem of their relationship had been his attitude making her think he was aloof to her. Now that that seemed to be settled, now that they had an understanding of some sort, he found it very foolish to risk something like that happening again. And, even though it was usually against his better judgment, Kira found himself encouraging him to make more advances on her as long as she was receptive to him. He found making her do all the work to be extremely distasteful.

Matsumoto was sitting on the steps of her Captain's office mulling over the situation when Kira walked by. He, too, lost in thought barely noticed the other Vice Captain. She realized that maybe she needed someone to bounce ideas off of. Her greeting brought him back to reality. "What are you thinking so hard about?" she asked as she joined at his pace.

He hesitated but decided to tell her, "Haushinka, actually. Hisagi has been talking about her a lot recently…apparently they've been spending quite a bit of time together."

"Oh, tell me about it! We need to find a way to get them to shack up…they just need to fuck and get it over with," Matsumoto complained.

Kira blushed. "We?"

"You're Hisagi's best friend. You've known him for like forever. Of course you're going to help," she didn't plan on giving him much of a choice in that regard.

Kira sighed in resignation.

"Now, we need to figure out our angle of attack. Tell me all the stuff Hisagi says about her," she urged.

He looked around, "Do we have to do this here?" Kira was willing to participate but he thought they should be more discrete than just discussing it in the middle of the street.

"Oh, good point! I was so excited that you're so willing to help that I forgot where we were." She led him to her office where they came up with a plan.

They decided that it was best to go after Hisagi not only because of the situation but Haushinka, Matsumoto assured, would know they were up to something as soon as they started to speak to her. She warned him that if their more subtle measures didn't work, she would have to resort to something a little more drastic. She didn't elaborate on that and he didn't ask. Their plan was simple. Since talking to them last time seemed to have positive results, they were going to try it again.

This time, however, their words had less of an effect…no effect, in fact. On top of that, they were both getting increasingly impatient and were getting to the point of being in a near-constant state of preoccupation.

Matsumoto and Kira weren't the only ones who noticed either. Soi Fong noticed something was off with her newest project and when she confronted her about it, Haushinka simply blushed and said it was nothing, apologizing profusely. They had a pretty good relationship and Soi Fong was slightly hurt that she wouldn't confide in her. It bothered her so much that the next day, she summoned Matsumoto to her office.

Matsumoto surprised when her captain told her to go to the special forces main office. When she inquired further, he said that's all the information he had. What surprised her even more was what the special forces captain wanted with her. Soi Fong was more than embarrassed when Matsumoto bluntly told her exactly what the problem was.

"Well, I guess that explains why she didn't want to tell me about it," was all the captain could manage. "I set them up to train not to fool around," she finally complained after a moment of thought.

"Oh, Captain, please don't be mad at her. Actually the problem is that they won't just fuck and get it over with. It's like they're playing some stupid little game and they're both losing." She continued to elaborate on the situation, suggesting heavily that if they could just have sex, things would go back to normal, if not better.

"I see." Soi Fong sat deep in thought for what seemed like forever before saying anything else. "It sounds like this is largely Vice Captain Hisagi's fault," she said as she began to pull a key out of her desk.

Matsumoto giggled. "That does seem to be the consensus. I've been wracking my brain trying to find a way to fix it but nothing I've come up with has been viable. Do you have any suggestions?" she asked hopefully.

"I think I might have just the thing. Would you mind going on a special mission, so to speak?" she led the vice captain into a back room that looked much like a laboratory and to a small cabinet.

"Oh, I've never been on a special forces mission before," Matsumoto giggled. "What do you have in mind?"

"It should be rather simple." She pulled two small bottles from the cabinet and locked it once again. "You said they were going on another date tonight?"

"Yeah, she's making him dinner."

"Perfect. Ambush Hisagi before he makes it to her quarters and have him drink this," she handed over the blue bottle. "It will be easiest if you buy him a drink and slip it in there. If he's as distracted as you say, he shouldn't notice. Now this one," she held up the pink bottle before pulling off the top and replacing it with a perfume sprayer. "Give this to Haushinka as a present, make up a reason." Soi Fong smirked. "This should solve our problems. I just hope you're predictions are correct."

"What is this stuff? What's it do?" Matsumoto eyed the two small bottles in her hands before sticking it in her shirt.

"The combination of the two will create a chemical reaction. It will drive Hisagi insane if doesn't deal with it." She handed her a small purse of coins to compensate her. "Now, I don't think that gives you very much time, so you'd better get going."

That was all the encouragement she needed. She first went to Haushinka who was just getting home from the market, buying things for their dinner. "Here," she handed her friend the small pink bottle.

"What's this?"

"It's a present. I know you've been down lately so when I saw this, I knew it was for you. Here, let me help you with it." She guided the younger woman's hands to the right places before pressing down on the sprayer a good number of times.

"Perfume?" Haushinka sounded slightly confused. "It does smell very nice but you didn't have to do this. Perfume is expensive."

"Not too expensive for a friend. Don't worry about it!"

"Well thank you," she managed before setting it on the counter and continuing to unpack her groceries.

"Okay, well I have go to, the captain has me working my poor butt off. Have fun tonight!" She left before there could be any argument.

Next was Hisagi. This had the potential of being a little trickier than her first step. She lucked out. When she passed one of their usual hangouts and poked her head inside, she found Hisagi sitting by himself. She took the liberty of keeping him company until he decided to leave for his date. She found it cute that he was, thought he wouldn't admit it, at least a little nervous. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have been drinking in the afternoon by himself.

"Oi, big date tonight, huh," she said as she made her way toward him. "Let me buy you a drink before you head over there. I just visited her and she's not ready yet," Matsumoto made her way to one of the servers and procured some sake. She made sure to put some of the mixture from the blue bottle into his cup. Soi Fong assured her that it wouldn't take the entire bottle, or even half, to accomplish their goal but insisted that she get him to consume as much as possible. As they suspected, he was distracted and didn't even think twice about it. If anything, he wasn't expecting her to disturb his thoughts and drew a mild irritation from that but the fact that she was buying him drinks seemed to ease that almost immediately.

They made small talk and once Hisagi's cheeks were flushed and the little bottle more than half empty, Matsumoto decided that he'd had enough. By itself, the chemical didn't appear to have any sort of effect on her friend and she found herself regretting not being able to see what happened to him when they got together, but that was just her hormones and over active imagination taking hold of her. They sat and talked a while longer, allowing him some time to sober up while Matsumoto continued to indulge, before, at her encouragement, he took his leave and made his way to her quarters.


	6. Shack

He carefully knocked on her door frame and she called for him to enter. Slowly, he did and found her still working in her kitchen. Everything smelled very good, making his mouth water. He made a sound of satisfaction while licking his lips.

"Please, have a seat. I have some tea ready and a few candles for you to light once it gets dark."

He was slightly surprised by her consideration. The first time she invited him in, it was a very dark night and she made no such offer. He realized only then that it was intentional. He sat and poured himself a cup, thankful for something nonalcoholic. It wasn't dark yet so he left the candles be. He took a moment to watch her while she worked. She was dressed differently than usual. Instead of her regular uniform, it was the special forces uniform that Soi Fong often wore. It had no back and resembled a halter top. It certainly wasn't something he could complain about. It was the greatest amount of her skin that he'd seen so far and he had to remain seated at the table while she moved about so that he wouldn't give in to the temptation to reach out and touch her. Her skin was nearly perfect, aside from a few minor scars, which was to be expected and only made him want to examine her more closely.

Only a few short minutes later, dinner was on the table and they were eating. She sat down next to him rather than across and when she did, he gave in and gave her a short but warm embrace. He wrapped his hand around her waist and buried his face in her tightly wound hair. He took a deep breath before squeezing her a little and letting her go. As her scent filled his nostrils he felt his body grow warm and his skin tingled. Regretfully, he withdrew but his stomach was about to growl. He was amazed by how good her cooking was and found it difficult to make conversation with her as he was busy feeding his face.

"That was wonderful!" Hisagi sat back and placed his hands on his now full belly.

"I hope you saved room from dessert."

He made a sound which was a strange mix of anticipation for the treat but also despair that he had not saved room.

"However, if you need a bit, I will consider it a compliment." She leaned toward him slightly to find that he had leaned back and slightly away from her. Realizing that he wasn't quite where she thought he was, she was slightly disappointed.

He saw the disappointment flash across her features and to make it up to her, he quickly moved forward and kissed her gently on the lips. She made a small gasp of surprise before returning the soft pressure. There was a split second when he thought that she would move away and he could hardly contain himself when she kissed back. He lifted one hand to cradle her neck and help direct her movements. After a few seconds, he felt more daring and slid his tongue along her bottom lip, begging for more. He breathed deeply when her tongue came out to gently caress his. Again, he could smell her, her scent making a warm flush over take his skin it was very enticing and made him kiss her more deeply.

She made a small sound of appreciation at his advances and, now that she knew exactly where he was, moved closer to him, nearly pressing their bodies together. Soon, she found his hands trying to tangle themselves in her hair. This, of course, didn't work out very well because of how well she kept her hair tied back. At this he made a small sound of frustration but regained enough of his composure to ask, "May I?" he tugged at the single tie that held her hair in place.

She hesitated but nodded in agreement. Her nod was cut short by a gasp as he pulled just right and snapped the tie, allowing her hair to fall around her shoulders undamaged. He used her gasp to recapture her lips and picked up where he left off.

Because it was such a rare occasion, she probably enjoyed the feeling of his fingers in her hair more than she should have. He was very careful but did occasionally pull due to a growing sense of urgency within him. Her hair was long and very soft and he loved the way it smelled. Slowly, he laid down, using his slight grip on her to guide her with him until he was flat on his back and she was leaning over him. He nearly shivered at the feeling of her hair as it fell and brushed across his bear arms. She shifted slightly, so that she could comfortably lean on him and he was suddenly glad that she didn't move much more than that. If she had, she would have noticed that he was already partially erect and, though he may have been, he didn't want to seem overly eager.

He held her close and they continued to make out for several more long minutes. He couldn't get enough of her taste, her scent, her touches and was a little disappointed when she pulled away, gasping lightly for breath. Her skin was flushed as well and by now her lips were slightly swollen. He knew what he wanted to go for next, but he hesitated and lost his chance. Wordlessly, she stood and went back into the kitchen. He sat up again so he could watch her and the way her newly freed hair moved around her. It was the first time he'd seen it down and it was beautiful. At first he thought it was pure black but now he could see dark red streaks that ran the entire length and it went down past her butt, no wonder she always kept it tied back. "You're hair is beautiful," he complimented.

She blushed and nearly gave him the same response as when he told her she was beautiful all those weeks before…but she didn't. She smiled and thanked him graciously, realizing that it was only meant as a compliment. After gathering a few things, she returned to the table. Their dessert was sake and strawberries, a delicious combination.

He poured them each a small cup and she took a small bite out of one of the over sized berries. As she did a little bit of the juice escaped and if she hadn't taken a moment to lick it off herself, he would have done it for her. He was glad he hesitated in this because it was worth it to watch her pink tongue run across her swollen lips. Two bites later and the fruit was gone. When she realized that he hadn't taken any, she grew slightly concerned, "Do you not like strawberries?"

"Oh, no," he suddenly realized that he'd just sat and watched her eat one without trying any himself. "I love strawberries," his voice sounded slightly entranced.

"Oh, good then, here," she held one up between them for him to take. He did as she had hoped and didn't take it with his fingers. Instead, she felt his soft lips brush against the tips of her fingers and his teeth graze her thumb as he took a bite, making sure to lick the juice from her fingers before using his tongue to guide the rest of the fruit into his mouth. She shivered just slightly when he licked her fingers.

Before she could recover, there was something cold and juicy brushing across her lips. Quickly, she understood and flicked her tongue out at it, catching both the fruit and one of his fingers, before nibbling on it and allowing some of the drips to trail down her lips. After her last bite, she lightly bit down on one of his finger tips and began sucking the rest of the flavor off there. Hisagi nearly groaned at the sensual feeling and instinctively joined it with a second finger.

She grinned at his eagerness and returned it by lightly sucking on his finger tips as they were presented to her, enjoying the sweet taste of strawberries and the roughness of his battle worn fingers. Reluctantly, he removed his fingers and before he could do anything she placed a strawberry between her lips and held it in place with her teeth.

He smiled at her playful invitation and gleefully accepted. He crushed the fruit between them in an aggressive kiss, tilting her head back so the juices would flow down her chin. He eagerly licked up every drop and she allowed him to take his time, even giving a small sigh of pleasure slip past her guard to encourage him.

The smell of strawberries mingled with her scent and he felt more intoxicated from that than any of the alcohol that he'd consumed prior. He followed the drops with this tongue down her chin and jaw, nearly to her neck before pulling away. As he withdrew, he felt her heated breath against his skin as she sighed.

Before she could respond he felt his fingers caressing her face. She slightly leaned into his touches until his finger began to trace the edges of her blindfold, then she flinched. With her sudden tension, he pulled away.

"What's the matter?" he asked, though he had a pretty good idea.

"It's just that…well, I…" she stammered weakly, regretting her instinctual action.

"Why do you wear this all the time?" he asked as he touched the edge of her blindfold again.

This time, she successfully fought the urge to pull away from his inquisitive touches. She'd wanted him to be more forward but she'd hoped he'd wait a little longer for this.

"Is it for your sake…or everyone else's?" he continued to press, barely fighting the urge to tug at the edges of the fabric covering her eyes.

She suddenly frowned. "Why are you doing this right now?"

"'Cause I wanna know," he told her simply while closing the gap between them and brushing a few stray hairs over her shoulder.

"It's for both," she told him in a confessional voice and guilt etched in her features. "You…want to see them," she stated with an even voice.

"If you'd show me," he replied as he began kissing her neck.

His touches were so soft and inviting that she couldn't resist him. She allowed him to lay her down beside him and unfasten her top. His hands wandered to her hips while his lips teased her throat and collar bones. She let out another sigh as she laced her fingers in his messy hair. He half expected her to pull him away for being so rude but it appeared she simply wanted to touch him back.

It quickly became apparent to Shuuhei that she wasn't planning to answer his request, at least any time soon. But the idea was finally out there and that was enough for now. In the back of his mind, he wondered how much more he would see of her body before he got to see her eyes.

Before long, she grew tired of his teasing and used her grip in his hair to pull him up for another kiss. He did not resist her, instead he moved one of his hands from her hip to her loosely-clothed breast. She gasped into their kiss but quickly recovered, kissing him even more deeply and encouraging him to continue. He slowly pulled the fabric away from her skin and took a peek down to watch her nipple harden due to the exposure combined with his attentions. He smirked into their kiss and suddenly became a little rougher with her. He nibbled on her lips and tongue while pinching and rolling her nipple between his fingers. She nearly growled in appreciation when he changed gears but it came out as a muffled moan. Her back arched as he continued to grope her, pressing her body firmly against his. When he broke their kiss to allow her a moment to catch her breath, he removed the fabric covering her other breast and began sucking on her newly exposed skin.

Needless to say, this did not help her catch her breath but neither of them seemed to care. He slid his free hand beneath the small of her arched back to support her while suckling on the sensitive nub of flesh that hardened between his lips. He smiled at the lusty expression that had taken over her features. Her lips were moist, swollen, and parted, allowing her small sounds of pleasure to easily escape.

Her hands slid from his hair, down his neck, to rest on his strong shoulders. At the feeling of his shirt, she grew frustrated and began to tug at the offensive fabric. He didn't stop what he was doing, in fact, he found her urgent motions even more encouraging. Instead, he continued and simply moved to make it easier for her to pull his robes down off his shoulders. He only removed his hands from her body to allow her to slide his sleeves off his arms. As soon as his skin was bared to her, he leaned down and pressed his body against hers. Their skin was hot and their friction only made them hotter. Her hands alternated between tracing random patterns on his now bare chest and grasping lightly at his back and shoulders.

This time when he lay down with her, he let his erection rest against her thigh unashamed. It was clear that he wanted her in a bad way and there was no hiding it at this point. She pressed against his need and rubbed against him with as much movement as her position allowed. It wasn't much but it was more than enough to start him working on removing the rest of her uniform. She grinned at his eagerness and when he pulled away to unfasten her belt, she reached down to palm his erection through his pants. He gasped and jerked in response. She giggled just a little at that but that was cut short when he slid her pants down and brushed against her panties with the back of his hand. Then it was his turn to be amused.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he suddenly asked, all too aware of how eager they both had become.

"What?" she asked incredulously. "Are you saying that you're having second thoughts?" she continued suspiciously and suddenly aware of how unwelcome a rejection from him at this point would be.

He chuckled a little and finished pulling her pants off. She gave a sigh of relief at his continuation and reached for his belt. He swiftly snatched her hands away and gathered her slender wrists in one of his strong hands. His other hand slid beneath the thin, damp fabric of her panties and began to pull them away as well. Once she was naked beneath him, he stopped to look at her.

He pulled away, wrists still in hand, and smiled appreciatively at his girlfriend. Her body was so willing for him…aside from one small exception, the one thing he wanted to see above all else was still covered and he felt no right to uncover it. He paused for a moment, contemplating his next move and was brought out of his thoughts by her tentative voice.

"What's the matter?" she looked so vulnerable as she spoke those three simple words.

"What? Nothing at all," he slightly lied. "I was simply admiring you."

She shifted uncomfortably beneath him. Normally, she didn't mind the staring since she couldn't notice it but this was different. Somehow, she could actually feel his eyes raking over her body and it made her uncomfortable. "Do you still want to see my eyes?" she asked suddenly.

"Of course, I want to see all of you," he confessed.

"Close your eyes," she requested. When he didn't respond, she continued, "Close your eyes and I'll remove my blindfold," she offered.

"Okay," he hesitantly agreed.

"No peeking! I'll know if you peek!" she warned playfully.

As he sat there with his eyes closed, he wondered how she would know if he took just a little peek. Briefly, he considered that she was bluffing but something told him that she would somehow know and he didn't want to blow his chance to see her so he obeyed without question. He felt her move beneath him and then reach around him. Before he could ask her what she was doing, he felt a soft strip of fabric wrap around his eyes and tie behind his head.

"You can open your eyes now," she offered.

Confused, he reached up and touched the fabric. As he did, she began to message the now tensing muscles in his chest and arms. When she felt that he was about to pull the fabric away, she reached up and grabbed each of his wrists in her smaller, but not weaker, hands and pulled them away from his face and back toward her body.

Taking the hint, he tried to go back to what he was doing, finding it a little more difficult than expected but she was more than willing to guide him where he needed it. He set to exploring her body again, nearly starting over with her neck, moving to her breasts, then stomach, eventually reaching her hot wetness. It was like he'd never touched her before as he explored details that he'd failed to notice prior.

During this, she was not a passive receptor to his attentions. She insisted on distracting him with her own caresses. Her fingers traced his muscles as they shifted and twitched beneath his skin and eventually found their way to his belt again. This time he was willing to allow her to do as she pleased. She untied his belt and, with a little assistance from Shuuhei, pulled his pants, along with his underwear, down to his knees. She would have pulled them all the way off, as he did with hers, but her position did not allow it so she settled for what she could reach. When her fingers teasingly brushed the tip of his weeping erection, a gasp caught in his throat that made her smile. Every touch she gave to him sent electricity through his already heated body and over loaded senses. He moved his lips from making love to her navel back to her face. He leaned down to kiss her. She didn't move but he missed and landed just to the side of her mouth.

"Is this how you feel all the time?" he asked breathlessly. He knew her other senses were more acute due to her lack of sight but he'd never conceived that it could be this intense. There was also another feeling he was wrestling with, that of a more than slight bewilderment and that was almost discouraging.

"Not all the time. You get used to it, but it takes a while. But this is how I feel whenever you're around," she told him honestly.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He accepted his initial miss and used that as a starting point to kiss other portions of her face until he reached her exposed eyes. He felt her eyes flutter shut and he gently kissed each of her eyelids before moving back to her lips. His tongue hungrily penetrated her mouth as he brought the tip of his erection to her dripping slit. She felt him shudder as he brushed himself against her wet heat. In response, she wrapped her arms around him and pushed back against his tentative pressure.

After that, his hesitation evaporated. He gritted his teeth and dove into her. Once he was all the way in, she wrapped her legs around him and pushed back even harder. Awkwardly, he used his leverage to kick his pants off the rest of the way before withdrawing and entering her once again. He groaned in satisfaction and she did the same. It made her laugh just a little.

Her laughter made him uncomfortable, "What's so funny?" he asked through gritted teeth, trying not to continue his movements until she responded.

"I don't know why we waited so long to do this," she told him, her tone still amused.

They didn't really speak after that. He couldn't think anymore and was acting on instinct alone. The air around him and the blood in his veins felt super heated. The fact that he couldn't see her was driving him crazy so he did all he could to feel every inch of her as he slid in and out of her. Her hands were wandering almost as much as his, grasping and scratching at his taught flesh. With her body clinging to his, he couldn't help pinning her hard to the floor with every thrust. He could feel her breath on his skin and she began to kiss his neck. He groaned at the sensation and began to reciprocate the action.

As he drew closer to climax, he began to get a little rough with her but the volume increase of her cries of pleasure told him that she didn't mind. Briefly, very briefly, he wondered if someone might hear them but the sound of her responding to his every movement took in his overheated brain. Involuntarily, he bit down on her shoulder as he came in order to stifle his groan so he could continue listening to her as long as possible.

They remained mostly still aside from the shivers from the aftershocks of orgasm. Slowly, she unwrapped her legs from around his waist and her arms from his neck and shoulders. Before withdrawing her arms entirely, she stopped at the knot behind his head and carefully untied it.

His sweat left the strip of fabric stuck to his face so she reached up and pulled it away. He blinked as his eyes adjusted once again. Immediately, he focused on her face. She stared up at him with vacant eyes which were primarily iris. The black pinpoints that were her pupils were surrounded by impossibly large pools of violet. He didn't realize he was holding his breath until she interrupted his silent admiration.

"Well?" she timidly prompted.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I think you're amazing," he slowly rolled off of her and onto the ground next to her before gathering her in his arms in a warm embrace.

She hugged him back. They stayed like that for several long minutes of comfortable silence before she sat up and grabbed another strawberry to munch on. When he sat up next to her, he finally lit the candles so he could continue to get a better look at her while they sipped their sake and nibbled on strawberries.

Neither of them bothered to put their clothes back on. There was an odd sense of comfort to be felt in their nudity. He smirked when he saw the bite mark he left on the junction of her neck and shoulder. He considered saying something to her about it but he wasn't sure how so he didn't bother, figuring that if the bruise caused her any problems he would hear about it later.


	7. A Night Out

"Have you always been…" he trailed off as he stared at her in the dim candle light.

The sake and strawberries were long gone. "Blind?" she finished knowingly and when she felt him nod, she answered. "Yes."

There wasn't as much sadness in her voice as he'd expected. "How did you…get along before you started attending the academy?" It was another one of those questions that had been plaguing him since he'd met her.

"The same way anyone survives out there. I was lucky enough to find others who cared about me and who were willing to help me hone my natural abilities. There was one woman in particular. She was the first to take pity on me and take me in. She took care of me when I first arrived…she was the one who encouraged me to take the entrance exams for the academy once my abilities started to surface." She laughed a sad, little laugh as she remembered.

"What?" he asked, curiosity peaked.

"Oh, I didn't want to be a soul reaper. It was so frustrating that they wouldn't advance me with the rest of my class. The only reason I stuck to it was her. She died some time ago and I almost dropped out but I couldn't imagine returning and living there without her."

"I'm glad you stuck it out," he quietly told her.

She smiled in response. "It's getting rather late," she yawned and began to gather their dishes.

He took that as his cue to leave soon. "I should be taking my leave then," he politely replied.

She appeared disappointed. "You…you don't have to leave…if you don't want to. You may…stay if you like. I mean…I would like it if you decided to stay," she offered.

He grinned at the idea and blew out the candles. He was hoping that she'd ask him to stay but he wasn't going to simply assume she'd let him. Once the dishes were in the sink, she folded her clothes and led him by the hand to her bedroom. Like the other rooms of her quarters, this one was plain but her bed was exquisite. The mattress, pillows, and blankets were soft and welcoming. Upon snuggling up next to her beneath the sheets, he quickly decided that she had the most comfortable bed in all of the sairetei and fell asleep.

The following morning, he was the first to wake and he was perfectly content to lay in her comfortable bed and watch her sleep. The toyed with her hair which, in spite of their evening activities and the night of sleep, still appeared perfect. There was only one thing that bothered him. Even though she was still sleep, her eyes were partially open. He realized that this was because of her condition and something he would simply get used to but it was still unnerving at first. If he hadn't been able to see and hear her breathing, he thought she would have looked dead. He felt a slight bit of ease when she began to stir. Once awake, she smiled and reached out to him. The first thing she touched was his shoulder and her hand moved from there to his face. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," he lied.

"Are you hungry?" she slowly sat up next to him.

"A little."

She smiled again. "What would you like? I can make anything," she offered.

He grinned at her generosity. "Actually, I was thinking we could go out. You made an amazing dinner last night and there's no way that I can top that so I was hoping you'd let me take you out."

She smiled and agreed and, after a few more minutes of cuddling, they got out of bed and dressed. They ate a quiet breakfast and after a few brief thank yous, they parted ways for the day with the possibility of seeing one another that evening.

Hisagi went to catch up on some paperwork while Haushinka sought out Matsumoto so they could bathe.

Once they were in the warm water, they began to talk.

"Looks like you two had fun last night," Matsumoto teased.

Haushinka blushed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh…well, it seems he left a slight mark on your shoulder, dear."

"A mark?" she immediately reached one hand up to the spot on her shoulder where Hisagi had bitten her the night before.

"But don't worry, it'll go away in a couple of days and it's not like anyone can see it when you're wearing your regular uniform," she comforted.

Haushinka shrugged, "It's doesn't really effect me any."

Matsumoto pressed for details which, with a little coaxing, she received.

"So you took your blindfold off for him, huh?" she marveled. The vice captain had never seen or heard of Haushinka doing such a thing for anyone before.

"Yeah, sort of. It was really strange. You're the only other person I've shown since I was first admitted to the academy and that's only because we bathe together. This was totally different. Before I'd let him see me, though, I wanted him to 'see' things my way." She elaborated on how she made him wear her blindfold during their activities only to remove it and reveal herself to him afterward.

Matsumoto fanned herself, "Sweetie, that's so hot!" she raved and Haushinka blushed again.

"He seemed to enjoy it," she giggled.

After he was done with is paperwork, Hisagi decided to go out for a drink. At the pub, he ran into several of his friends and acquaintances that had something of a head start on him.

"So, how'd it go?" Kira immediately asked.

"It went…well," Hisagi carefully replied.

"Well, huh? Must not've gotten any," Renji teased.

Hisagi glared.

"Ooh, what a scary look!" Renji continued. "Just because you didn't get laid, don't take it out on me."

Hisagi smirked but still didn't say anything until a pair of voices from behind him chimed in as well. It was Yumichika and Ikkaku, also quite drunk.

Ikkaku was the first to interrupt. "Yeah, tell us all about it!" He wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about but from what little he had overheard, he had a pretty good idea.

Yumichika bought him a drink before really starting to badger the vice captain. "That young woman you've been spending so much time with…she is rather beautiful," the beauty obsessed man complimented.

"Yeah, you could say that," he agreed, remember how he'd told her that many times himself.

"Yeah, you've been seein' that new blind girl, haven't ya?" Ikkaku butted in. "You got a fetish for shit like that or something?"

Hisagi barely suppressed a blush at the accusation. He never actually thought about it that way but there was something about her blindness that he found attractive. After having a day to think about their evening together, he was only just beginning to realize it. "Is there a point to this?" he tried to shrug it off. They were drunk and losing his temper over a couple of drunks was not his style.

"She's kinda pretty…I _knew_ her mother, if you know what I mean," he laughed crudely.

Hisagi glared.

"Oh yes, I _knew_ that woman as well, as it were…" Yumichika idly commented, stirring his drink.

"Her 'mother' was a whore, ya know. So, I bet she's pretty good in the sack," Ikkaku elaborated.

Hisagi couldn't take it any more and punched the bald man in the jaw. After the blow, he withdrew and went back to his drink. It was a warning blow.

Ikkaku didn't dodge or retaliate. He simply wiped the blood from his lips and laughed, "What? Didn't she mention that?"

"Ikkaku, dear, you are being too brash," Yumichika scolded. "But Hisagi-san, he is correct. However, I hardly see how that's relevant to your relationship. It's not like she was involved in her caretaker's business anyway."

"That doesn't mean she didn't pick up a thing or two," Ikkaku joked as he flagged the bartender for another drink. "Besides, the guy deserves to know…especially if she's not gunna be the one to tell 'em," Ikkaku defended. "Wouldn't you want to know something like that?"  
Hisagi suddenly reeled back to throw another punch but when it was about two feet from Ikkaku's right eye, a small stealthy hand stopped it midair.

The two men gave her looks of shock that only went unappreciated by her. "Shuuhei-san, I appreciate your willingness to defend my honor but he's not worth a bar fight. Let me handle this," she told him in an even tone.

"Haushinka-san…how long have you been…" Kira, also startled, interjected as Hisagi reluctantly withdrew.

"Long enough."

"Heh, I can tell who's in charge of this relationship," Ikkaku scoffed.

"Ikkaku-san…" she began as she slowly approached the much taller man, "…It's been a while. I bet that now you're a ranked officer, you don't have to pay women to fuck you anymore," she taunted.

"Why you little…" That comment caused Ikkaku's temper to flare and Yumichika to snicker.

"And talk about freaky shit…man, that was one point in my life that I was glad that I couldn't see. Just the sound of it was enough traumatize me and anyone else within earshot," she continued.

The bald man snarled.

"Oh, what's the matter baldy? You're the one who wanted to play this game." She continued to approach him until they were only inches apart, her face only reaching his chest.

"He's upset because he's losing now," Yumichika interjected.

She laughed a little at the remark and Ikkaku watched her breasts jiggle slightly as she did. He could feel his body temperature begin to rise due to her proximity. Her chest was almost brushing against his lower abdomen every time she took a breath.

"You said you still think I'm pretty…is that true," she asked with a sudden sheepishness.

Her change in demeanor boosted Ikkaku's confidence enough for him to continue their cocky banter. "Keh, maybe…that depends," he looked away from her for effect, too drunk to really realize how little of an effect it would have on her.

She appeared slightly disappointed, "Depends on what?" she took that final step toward him, closing the gap between their bodies.

Hisagi stood back in shock while she looked up at Ikkaku with a small, hopeful smile. Ikkaku wasn't sure which he liked better. "Well, it seems you've started to come around," he attempted to wrap an arm around her waist and secure his victory when she quickly stepped away from him and back to Hisagi's side.

"See dear, that's what this is really all about…he was just trying to get a rise out of you," she soothed from beside him.

Ikkaku turned red with embarrassment and anger, "You little bitch tease," he slammed his drink down.

"Oh, come on!" she chided, "After all the times I've turned you down you really think that now of all times I would change my mind? Sweetie, I think you should be cut off because you've obviously had too much to drink."

Hisagi wanted to interject, to offer words of support but he was so surprised by how aggressive she was being and simply stood in silence to admire her.

"So, can we all just have a nice, quiet drink now? I'll even buy the next round," she offered.

Everyone except Ikkaku agreed immediately and Ikkaku agreed after seeing that he was thoroughly beaten.

"That…was amazing!" Hisagi complimented once everyone went back to what they were doing.

"He's such a dickhead sometimes and you gotta really put him in his place every once in a while, ya know," she sort of slurred.

"I didn't know you knew Ikkaku and Yumichika," he continued.

"From way back…the first time each of them visited my 'mother', as I've came to know her, they tried to buy me instead…or as well," she giggled before chugging the rest of her drink.

Just then, Matsumoto, Renji, and Kira approached.

"Are-are you drunk?" he sudden asked, taking a moment to examine the flush on her cheeks.

"Maybe just a little, why?"

He laughed a little. "No reason."

"Whooo, you go girl," the older woman patted her on the back, nearly sending them both to the floor before turning to Hisagi, "Quite the firecracker when you get 'er liquored up, don't ya think?"

Hisagi scratched the back of his head, "I was just thinking that," he admitted with a slightly devilish grin.

While Kira and Renji took turns complimenting her verbal victory, Matsumoto leaned in close to Hisagi to whisper to him, "I heard you two had quite a bit of fun last night," she elbowed him in the ribs slightly.

"She told you about that?" he sounded a little unnerved.

"I saw that bite mark on her shoulder when we were bathing together this morning…it's pretty hot," Matsumoto told him in a teasingly husky voice while fanning herself off with her hand.

"B-bathing…together?" he suddenly asked, a deep flush rushing to his face.

"Well of course, she doesn't want anyone peeping on her so we go together," she explained.

"I see," He stepped away from Matsumoto, and wiped the blood that was beginning to trickle from his nose, to rejoin Haushinka. "Let's get the hell out of here. This place is lame," he grabbed her by the hand and tried to pull her away from his friends.

"Huh? Where are we going?" she stumbled along behind him. She barely had time to wish their friends good bye while he bought a bottle of sake to take with them.

Once they were gone, Renji slapped himself on the forehead in frustration, "Damn it!"

"What's the matter?" Kira asked.

"We never found out if they hooked up or not, that's like the whole reason we went out tonight, remember?" Renji groaned.

"Nosey, aren't we?" Matsumoto ironically accused. "Well, if you must know…" she trialed off.

"You know?" Renji immediately gave her his full attention.

"Of course I know."

"Well?" Renji impatiently prompted.

She was going to hold out a little longer until she saw the look of silent anticipation on Kira's face. The blonde man wasn't going to say anything or ask about it but it was obvious that he too wanted to know and badly. "Yes, yes they did," she confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Renji questioned.

"First you beg me for information and then you question my honesty. Of course I'm sure. If I wasn't I wouldn't be hanging around you guys, I'd still be stalking her."

Renji apologized.

"So it worked," Kira mumbled.

"Huh? What worked?" the redhead turned his attention again.

Matsumoto quickly quieted them with another round of drinks before she revealed too much information. If her theory was correct, the potion that she'd fed Hisagi the night before was still coursing through his veins and she could smell Haushinka's new perfume. All that meant that they were still going to act like horney bunnies and she figured that it would be best to wait until at least that was over before she revealed any secrets.

Hisagi wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close as they walked together. "You were a real bitch back there," he complimented before taking a couple sips off the top of the bottle.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she blushed.

"No, it was hot. I didn't know you had it in you," he squeezed her tightly and allowed his hand to wander up and down her side.

"Really?" she asked with a smirk. "Well, you're lucky I said anything at all."

"Why is that?" he passed her the bottle.

"If I didn't have so much of my own pride, I would have been content to let you start a bar fight for me…now that would have been hot," she fanned herself for effect.

He grinned at the idea and pulled her into an alley between two taller buildings. She made a small sound of surprise and grabbed onto his shirt as she tried to stumble along with him without falling down. She was reasonably successful and he was more than willing to hold her up.

Hisagi backed up against the wall and pulled her along with him until their bodies were pressed together. Once they stopped moving, she held the bottle up to him. "Here, I think you have some catching up to do," she giggled. In actuality, she didn't care if he drank, she just knew she'd had enough for the time being.

He accepted the bottle and her advice. As he began to drink from the bottle, she began to toy with the collar of his robes. She could feel his muscles move beneath the fabric as she pulled it away from his skin. Once his chest was exposed, she began to nuzzle and kiss on his newly exposed flesh. He let her do as she pleased as he took casual sips and he could feel his skin grow warmer from both. She smiled when he nearly gasped at her pulling his robe off one of his shoulders. He swallowed hard when she found his nipple, already hard, and began to toy with it using her mouth. As she played with the sensitive bud of flesh, her hands moved lower, to his belt. He could hardly believe how easy it was for him to allow her to begin undressing him in public like that.

With the top of his robe hanging open, she continued to move her lips lower, down his stomach and to his navel. As she dipped her tongue inside, she pressed her generous bosom against his growing erection. When his breath caught in his throat, she pulled back from his belly button for a moment to press her chest harder against him.

"This is one of the times in my life…when I wish I could see," she confessed. If the sounds he was making were any indication, his expression would have been priceless.

He didn't know what to say to that. Somehow, he felt honored but he wasn't sure how to express it or even if he should. So, he settled for taking another drink and staring down at her in awe. Her skin was flushed, her lips were parted, and her breasts were squished against his body.

She could feel him hardening beneath her breasts and she gave him a sly grin, "You like this, ne?" she arched her back to create a small amount of friction, but enough to make him whimper in response.

After she'd been so submissive to his advances the night before, this was a nice change of pace. He couldn't help getting turned on by her aggressiveness and though he was rarely the submissive type, he was more than willing to allow her to dominate their encounter.

"Perhaps, we should take this elsewhere," she suggested but didn't move.

He made a small sound of disappointment. She was probably right but he was so excited that he wanted her to do whatever it was she was going to do right there and then, he did not want to wait for it.

"But I suppose we could just finish this here…if you can manage to keep quiet. If I remember correctly, you had to bite down on my shoulder to stifle your cries of pleasure last night. This time you won't be able to do that…think you can manage?" she asked teasingly as she began to pull her robe down off her shoulders.

He nodded eagerly until he realized that wasn't an appropriate response, "Yeah, I can manage," he told her through gritted teeth.

She finished exposing her breasts to him before pulling his pants down far enough to release his hard member, already weeping at the tip. She flicked her tongue out to lick away the precum before squishing him between her large, heavy tits. He barely suppressed a groan of satisfaction as she began to work on him. His need for something to hold on to was the only thing that stopped him from dropping their bottle of alcohol as he stared down at her in lusty awe.

"I've thought about this since the first time I saw you," he admitted.

She giggled and that sent vibrations through his body. Instead of responding, she continued her task and began teasing his swollen head with her mouth when it would appear through the top of her cleavage.

He brought his hand up to his mouth to muffle the sounds of pleasure that escaped his guard and bit down on his knuckles when he came. He bit himself hard enough to break the skin on his hand and cause it to bleed. When she was finished swallowing all that he could give her, she pulled her robe back around her shoulders and proceeded with helping him redress as well. When she was finished with his pants, but before she could reach for his shirt, he grabbed her and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. He wrapped one arm around her body while his free hand ran through her hair.

"Have I ever mentioned…how amazing you are?" he asked between kisses.

"Mmmm," she tiled her head to one side as he began kissing her neck, "I think you've mentioned it," she giggled. That's when she sensed something and tensed slightly.

Had she not been in his arms when it happened, Hisagi probably would have overlooked her tension but, as it was, he couldn't help noticing it and trying to pull away to find out what was the matter. She didn't let him pull away. Instead, she placed a careful hand on the back of his neck and held him in place, turning slightly to whisper in her ear. "Don't look now…but we're being watched."

Hisagi didn't exactly obey but he didn't jerk away from her either. Instead, he tried to continue what he was doing while sneaking a peek. It was Ikkaku and Yumichika. "How long have they been there?" he nearly growled.

"Not long…I think they're just passing by. They weren't here for the good part," she assured him. "But since they seem to have decided this is a show…why not make it worth their while?" she proposed.

Hisagi grinned at the idea of rubbing his relationship in the apparently jealous face of Ikkaku and moved the hand from around her back to her breast, messaging it lightly while capturing her delicate and swollen lips. In response, she used her grip on the back of his neck to deepen the kiss.

Ikkaku's face reddened in anger but was just going to walk away until he heard the sound of appreciation his boyfriend happened to be making. Ikkaku sneered at Yumichika who was shamelessly watching them with a lewd grin dancing across his lips. "He lives right, fuckin' over there," the bald man pointed down the street a few blocks to the vice captain's quarters, "Why don't you two get a room?" He couldn't stop himself from glaring at how easily Hisagi held Haushinka in his arms. He'd never seen her behave that way with anyone, not that he himself along with countless others hadn't tried.

Hisagi pulled away and smirked at the pair watching from the street.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We are so careless. Is this your dark alley?" She took Hisagi by the hand and led him toward the street with a bratty smile. "Come on, sweetie, let's give them their alley back."

They could feel the bald fighter's energy begin to flare rather dangerously as they passed and started toward Hisagi's quarters. Before they got too far, Haushinka briefly turned around to make a series of gestures that could be summarized as _you suck him over there, yes?_ It wasn't a question as much as a request or even a demand. Yumichika gave her a soft smile and nodded in her direction, knowing that she would not receive his response, before leading his bald boyfriend into the alley to 'calm him down', as he also heard her call it on occasion.

* * *

Okay, well that's all I have for now. I may continue this if I get some inspriation but I don't feel to bad for ending it here. I hope it was mildly enjoyed. Any input would be greatly appreciated!


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